In 2015, I conducted a couple of dozen video interviews on open source Internet of Things technologies. It was for an industry study that I was going to present at a conference. Those videos initially had very low views but since then some of them have been viewed by thousands. But guess what? I stopped. Had I continued, I could have built a strong following but the only problem is that I would have had to stay with open source IoT.
As you think about your podcast or video strategy, here are a couple of things to consider. The title of your show should be focused but still broad enough to give you the latitude to morph your content in the future. In other words, would the name of your show be still relevant in 10 years? That’s why I have three shows — Climate Change with Scott Amyx which is specific but there’s a lot of subtopics that I can cover within it. Innovating with Scott Amyx that focuses on product innovation without being held captive to any particular technology that would eventually go out of fashion. And finally Candid with Scott Amyx to motivate others and share my experience. They all have a very specific strategy but it still gives me the flexibility to change my content without having to abandon my podcast or video series.
The second insight is this. Your short-term metrics whether it’s the number of downloads, viewed, liked or shared are going to be initially low. After several weeks and even several months, you’re going to question yourself whether it makes sense to continue. Most YouTubers struggle in obscurity for years before they finally break through the noise. If my open source video series in 2015 taught me anything, it’s that don’t put too much stock in short-term metrics. Just like your investments, you’re in it for the long-run.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Candid with Scott Amyx on YouTube and give it a thumbs up.
